Sunday, August 22, 2010

minuscule

\MIN-uh-skyool\

adjective

1 : written in or in the size or style of lowercase letters 2 : very small

this word is derived from the Latin minisculus, meaning "rather small." in this context, i feel the "rather" suggests that the object is smaller than expected, or smaller than its peers. for example, a bread crumb wouldn't necessarily be described as MINISCULE. on the other hand, one of those dinky loaves of cocktail rye bearing slices only large enough to boast a dollop of cream cheese and a bread and butter pickle would be a better candidate for such a description. while larger than a crumb, it resembles a loaf of bread, only, "rather small."

seriously. who buys those? what for? finger sandwiches? i'm lost on this party tradition.